<p> This study investigated secondary mathematics pre-service teachers&rsquo; (PSTs) knowledge of resources in terms of digital technologies, and explored the processes of both selection and integration of technology into their lesson plans. This study employed a case study design. Participants were six secondary mathematics PSTs who enrolled in a methods course. Data sources included technology portfolios submitted as a requirement in the methods course and semi-structured interviews. The types of digital technologies were classified either conveyance technologies which are used to convey information or cognitive technologies which enable users to perform mathematical actions and receive immediate feedback (Dick &amp; Hollebrand, 2011). Each task in these lesson plans was evaluated by using the Task Analysis Guide (Stein, Smith, Henningsen, &amp; Silver, 2009). Finally, the intended way of technology use was identified whether as amplifier which enables students to accomplish a task more efficiently and accurately or as recognizer which transforms students&rsquo; actions and enables them to reorganize their thinking (Pea, 1985). </p><p> The findings indicated that the PSTs&rsquo; technology knowledge was limited in terms of the content. It was clear that these PSTs&rsquo; technology knowledge, the capability of technology, ease of use, availability of technology in the context, students&rsquo; familiarity with technology, and appropriateness of technology to meet the learning objectives were the most important factors influencing their technology selection and integration. Furthermore, the findings exhibited that the PSTs preferred to build their lesson around with a high cognitive level tasks which were either doing mathematics or procedures with connections and their intended way of technology use in these tasks was identified as either an amplifier or a reorganizer. In general, the findings also revealed that when the level of cognitive demand of the selected task was doing mathematics, the intended way of the technology use in these tasks were as reorganizer. </p><p>

Research on learning to teach mathematics reveals that mathematics teaching is a complex process (Lerman, 2000) and classroom teaching and learning is a “multifaceted, extraordinarily complex phenomenon” (O’Connor, 1998, p. 43). Moreover, research reveals that the mathematics reform agenda has had an impact on what happens in the mathematics classroom, however, the impact has been superficial (Kazemi & Stipek, 2001) with teachers often retaining their pre-reform habits and attitudes in regards to mathematics teaching and learning (O’Connor, 1998). This study examined the reform discourse practices that three novice teachers, who had been enrolled in a reform based methods course during their preservice teacher education program, adopted, adapted, or ignored as they attempted to engage students in mathematical conversations. Data sources included interviews, field notes, artifacts, and transcripts of videotaped classroom lessons. The primary research questions guiding this study included: (1) What reform-oriented discourses practices do novice teachers, who participated in a reform-based mathematics methods course adopt? What practices do they adapt? What practices do they ignore as they engage students in mathematics conversations? and (2) What issues and challenges surface as novice teachers begin to enact reform-oriented discourse practices? Results indicated that despite holding beliefs that reflect the basic tenets of mathematics reform, theses novice teachers represent a continuum of practices ranging from traditional to reform. Evidence suggests that adopting the reform-oriented practice of eliciting different solutions was critical in the development of social norms that reflect mathematics reform. Eliciting different solutions served to focus classroom conversations on meaningful student generated explanations and justifications. Moreover, evidence suggests that enacting the practice of eliciting different solutions was instrumental in enacting other reform-orientated practices associated with the development of reform-oriented socialmathematical norms. Lastly, results indicate that the pressures of teaching in an underperforming school, as defined by state standardized high stakes tests, can impact a novice teacher’s ability and willingness to adopt mathematics reform practices.

This dissertation presents a unified framework to teach critical thinking and problem solving in a sixth grade computer classroom. In the context of this framework, problem solving is viewed as a critical thinking skill that also incorporates application of other critical thinking skills. Through a review of literature of critical thinking, problem solving, writing, Logo, simulations, and other related areas of study, we derive instructional principles important to consider when formulating a pedagogy to teach critical thinking/problem solving in a 6th grade computer classroom. We then present a rationale for a unified framework to teach critical thinking/problem solving and describe the said framework, titled, TACTICS (Tools ((to)) Assimilate Critical Thinking in Classroom Subjects). A process approach is advocated that includes an emphasis on the development of metacognition and an inquisitive spirit, the application of a general problem solving approach, and the use of specific heuristics. Through conscious use of critical thinking skills when applying problem solving strategies, students can learn to strengthen critical thinking and problem solving skills and come to see how the same general skills are used in a variety of circumstances. Eight instructional principles are suggested to teach critical thinking skills and to promote their generalization to other subject areas. These are supported by four problem solving tools designed to aid students in connecting their problem solving experiences in one area to their work in other subject areas. These tools are: Polya Four-Step General Problem Solving Approach, The Heuristic Bank, Student and Teacher-Made Reference Manuals and Students' Journals. A curriculum resource book is included that demonstrates how the use of the TACTICS model can build critical thinking and problem solving skills when studying Logo, when writing or when using a simulation. Included are examples of curriculum unit and instructions for teachers to design their own curriculum units in their subject areas.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using video as a method of beginner teacher observation. Additionally, this study investigated whether or not trained observers (raters) could reliably score beginner teacher performance videotapes using a four point holistic scoring scale. It was the goal of this study that the beginner teacher performance videotapes assessed holistically would help to narrow the gap that now exists between teacher evaluation and actual classroom teaching. To this end the researcher collected 24 beginner teacher performance videotapes and had twelve elementary school teachers, the raters, score each videotape utilizing a four point holistic scoring scale that was developed for the purposes of this dissertation. In sum, it appears that videotape performance assessment that utilizes a holistic scoring scale is a viable and cost effective method of teacher evaluation. Lastly, it was learned that camera condition was not a significant factor in terms of obtaining consistent scores on the performance videotapes. However, it remains to be seen if this method helps to narrow the gap between actual classroom teaching and teacher evaluation.

Mathematics permeates almost every aspect of human life and it is a skill much needed by the increasingly complex technological world. It is necessary that this essential skill must be properly developed among students to prepare them for future academic and professional careers. An assessment of the research-based instructional strategies blending with old traditional methods with the modern technological development is a must. Due to the complexity of mathematics learning and the varied learning styles of learners, an integration of appropriate multiple instructional strategies into mathematics education will positively impact mathematical achievement of students. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of the use of Integrated Technologies Instructional Method (ITIM) as a supplement to the traditional lecture method on mathematics achievement of the Integral Calculus students at the College of Engineering, University of Ha'il, Saudi Arabia. The ITIM includes the four instructional strategies such as the use of the Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, the collaborative learning, the bilingual support and the study support. Different types of academic supports have been used to examine their effects on students achievement in mathematics. Mathematics, the bedrock of science and engineering, is considered a very important indicator of a student's academic success in professional higher education. Undergraduate engineering students' low achievement in the first year mathematics is an issue demands much attention. The study was undertaken to address students' weak background in mathematics and particularly their high failure rates in this particular course. A total of 218 undergraduate engineering students, comprising of both the experimental and the control groups, were involved in this experimental design study. The control group was taught by the traditional lecture method whereas the experimental group was exposed to the ITIM as a supplement to the traditional lecture method. Apart from the effects of the use of ITIM, students' performance in the previous courses (covariates) such as mathematics, computer, and the English language were compared with their final grades of the Integral Calculus course. The final grades of students were taken as the dependent variable and the ITIM and students' scores in the previous courses as the independent variables. It has been noticed from the literature review that the application of only one instructional strategy does not address the needs of the diverse learning styles of students. A mixed mode method, quantitative and qualitative, was used to collect and analyse data. The quantitative data instruments included students' final exam grades and the student questionnaires. Interviews with students were used as qualitative tools of data collection. An independent t-test, ANOVA, univariate analysis and the stepwise multiple regression analysis were performed to determine the overall statistical significance. The study concluded that there was a statistically significant difference in the performance of the experimental group of students' in terms of their end-of-course grades compared to that of the control group. The regression model revealed significance of covariates on the dependent variable. However, no significant relationship was found between the mathematics achievement and attitudes towards the use of ITIM. The study was an attempt to demonstrate the suitability of the instructional strategies on the bilingual Arab undergraduate engineering students; however, they can probably be applicable to other bilingual students.

<p> The purpose of this mixed methods study is to test teachers&rsquo; capacity towards understanding of mathematical pedagogy and their willingness to utilize interactive whiteboard software to provide visual representations through virtual manipulatives and to understand how teachers are using interactive whiteboard software during instruction. Based Upon Linda Lambert&rsquo;s Capacity Theory and Michelle Hodara&rsquo;s five strands of Math Pedagogy, this study attempted to answer how we can improve mathematics instruction through implementing interactive whiteboards. This study looked at the relationship between teachers&rsquo; understanding of math pedagogy and their willingness to implement interactive whiteboards to enhance and engage instruction at the kindergarten through eighth grade. Included in this study is the role administrators play in improving mathematics instruction. Additionally, attitudes towards engaging instruction in both teachers and administrators were analyzed. The findings and discussions led to the adaptation of Linda Lambert&rsquo;s 4-quadrant matrix to a new Improving Capacity to Teach Math matrix. </p>

The thesis draws on a mixed-methods study which empirically and theoretically investigates the ways in which postgraduate students engage in collaborative learning activities facilitated by technology. The research is both significant and distinct in its approach towards understanding how learners engage in real-life computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) settings; what enables or hinders learner engagement; and how engagement shapes the learning outcomes. The ensuing findings indicate that learner engagement is embodied in human behaviour, emotions, and reflection and therefore it is described as a multi-dimensional concept. Learner engagement also appears to be a socially distributed phenomenon – rather than a stable student characteristic – influenced by various personal, group-level, and other situational factors, the most prominent of which are captured by the Hierarchical Model of Enablers and Barriers. The study also reveals that learner engagement presupposes purposeful interaction which is presented as an integrative theme capturing the impact of pedagogical design on engagement. Another observation is that particular combinations of student actions, perspectives, and characteristics tend to resurface and therefore may be considered as strong predictors of potential engagement (or disengagement). This finding led to the development of the WISE Taxonomy of Learner Engagement Archetypes which portrays the most universal engagement approaches that emerged within the studied context. Finally, findings seem to suggest that the way students envisage their learning outcomes is driven by the engagement approach each student adopts, and vice-versa. When combined, the proposed model, taxonomy, and conceptualisation of learner engagement collectively define a holistic analytical framework labelled Distributed Engagement Theory. The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to explore, understand, and subsequently explain learner engagement aiming at making an original contribution to existing CSCL literature as well as informing the design of pedagogical models for enhancing learner engagement in CSCL environments within postgraduate education.

This is the first study in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) integration into Early Childhood Education (ECE) to call upon a blended theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, Fullan’s concepts of educational change and complexity theory. In drawing the collected data together within the framework of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, a range of linear factors that influence practitioners’ use of ICT in the playroom at the micro-level (teachers’ pedagogical beliefs, confidence, technological pedagogical knowledge); meso-level (local school policy, leadership, support) and macro-level (national ECE curriculum and national ICT policy) were identified. Currently, structured research into ICT integration in ECE is extremely limited in Saudi Arabia. This thesis addresses this substantial knowledge gap in the practice of ICT integration in Saudi Arabian ECE settings through a collective case study approach of Saudi Arabian programs. According to the literature, Scotland, for some time, has been at the forefront of developing strategies for the integration of ICT into early years. Policy in Scotland has also been supported by a range of literature, studies and reference to ICT use in the curriculum; that have assisted practitioners in making important pedagogical decisions for using ICT in the playroom. For these reasons, Scotland is included in this research as an example that can provide some insights for improvement in the Saudi Arabian context. Six case studies were used to address the study’s research questions: four in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia and two in Scotland (located between Glasgow City Council and East Dunbartonshire). As part of the research’s endorsement of a holistic approach, the researcher triangulated multiple research methods (questionnaire, semi-structured interview, playroom observation and documentary analysis) to investigate the status of ICT use in preschool settings and factors that influenced teachers’ ICT practices. The target community was made up of practitioners in ECE settings, including head teachers and practitioners from both private and public preschools. Research findings suggest that practitioners in both locations hold a positive perspective of the importance of ICT integration into ECE. However, enthusiasm and positive attitudes do not always lead to high levels of ICT integration. In Saudi Arabia in particular, much of the integration is achieved in an informational, teacher-centred/traditionalist manner, rather than encouraging child-centred, constructivist approaches. The results revealed that teachers’ pedagogical beliefs and their relationship to teaching practices strongly influenced integration practices. Furthermore, school characteristics were equally, if not more, influential upon integration levels. In general, in the Saudi ECE sector, the journey to ICT integration is at an initial, unstructured stage and observed attempts at integration are largely the result of practitioners’ individual efforts. Investigating ICT integration into teaching and learning in the Scottish preschool case studies provides examples of child-centred learning through ICT that suggest ways of integrating ICT fruitfully into the micro-level of the playroom. The Saudi context can benefit from examining these constructivist practices. Scotland is more advanced in ICT integration than Saudi Arabia because it has a policy for ICT integration into ECE; though, in both sectors there exist similar factors that influence practitioners’ approaches to integration at both the micro- and meso-levels (practitioner confidence, ICT-based activity management skills). Practitioners in both contexts hope for the comprehensive improvement of ICT integration, and there is a clear desire for an explicit educational policy for ICT in preschool education and for continuous teacher training. Overall, this research provides the first detailed picture of Saudi preschool teachers’ ICT practices, perspectives and attitudes toward technology use in ECE and will have the capacity to inform present and future national ECE policy. Furthermore,findings from both case studies provide international stakeholders and practitioners with a series of guidelines for effective ICT integration.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:32:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Levi Pinto de Miranda Junior.pdf: 319498 bytes, checksum: 8633f7378b85061fdf577aa01b59f57a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-02-28 / This work follows the line of research University, Teaching and Formation of Teachers. Its principal objective is to analyze the discourse of professors in an Institution of Higher Learning in the State of S?o Paulo about the use of e-mail as a didactic-pedagogical resource. Afier signing a free consent agreement, 50 professors at the Institution answered a questionnaire containing questions about their professional profile and their knowledge about computers, Internet and e-mail. Results indicated that 48 (96.0%) professors have access to computers; 88.0% use them to send and receive e-mail; and 72.0% send didactic material to their students through this system. The participants agree that the computer is a good support for learning and that by means of it classes can be more interesting. Regarding the interactivity provided by using e-mail, 96.0% agree that it facilitates professor/student interaction as well as student/student interaction; furthermore, 90.0% agree that with the use of e-mail educational objectives are easier to reach. In the light of the results obtained, we recommend that professors of Higher Education be aware of the technological resources available in order to reflect on the use of these diverse tools, among which can be found e-mail, in the teaching-learning process. / Este trabalho se insere na linha de pesquisa Universidade, Doc?ncia e Forma??o de Professores e teve como objetivo principal analisar o discurso de professores de uma Institui??o de Ensino Superior do interior do Estado de S?o Paulo sobre o uso do e-mail como recurso did?tico-pedag?gico. Participaram da pesquisa 50 professores da referida Institui??o e a eles foi aplicado, ap?s a assinatura do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido, um question?rio com perguntas referentes ao perfil dos participantes e a seus conhecimentos acerca de computadores, da Internet e do e-mail. Os resultados indicaram que 48 (96,0%) professores t?m acesso a computadores e que 88,0% o utilizam para o envio e recebimento de e-mail, enquanto 72,0% disseram enviar material did?tico para seus alunos atrav?s deste sistema. Os participantes concordam que o computador ? um bom suporte para a aprendizagem e que atrav?s dele as aulas podem se tornar mais interessantes. Quanto ? interatividade proporcionada pelo uso do e-mail, 96,0% concordam que ela facilita tanto a intera??o professor/aluno, quanto a intera??o aluno/aluno; al?m disso, 90,0% concordam que com o uso do e-mail os objetivos educacionais s?o alcan?ados mais facilmente. Em vista dos resultados obtidos, recomendamos que os professores de Ensino Superior estejam atentos aos recursos tecnol?gicos dispon?veis, de forma a refletirem sobre o uso de diversas ferramentas, entre elas o e-mail no processo de ensino-aprendizagem.